Football Window Watch: Burnley

It’s never anything less than phenomenal to hear from a member of the ever-increasing Interestment circle, and today Eliot – a fantastic football write with a dry wit – continues his excellent Transfer Window series. He had this to say about the mighty Burnley…

What they need

Flicking casually through the recipe books to the page marked “ingredients required to stay up” won’t provide much help to Owen Coyle; there are simply no cut and dried rules. Reading managed to secure an eighth place finish three seasons ago playing an admirable passing game. Stoke meanwhile went for the reverse method last year, relying on supposedly top Premier League defenders’ comic inability to deal with the aerial ball when launched in by Rory Delap. What will certainly be required however, are players with Premier League experience. Relying on Steven Caldwell and Joey Gudjonsson (pictured) to explain to the rest of the squad what the top flight is all about is like asking a blind man to explain colour.

Who they don’t need

Or more pertinently, what they don’t need, namely a bad start. All promoted sides have a sticky run at some point. Burnley must heed the lessons of Hull last season and make sure theirs doesn’t arrive too early. Mr Coyle may also like to ensure he keeps his team talks confined to the dressing room.

Don’t mention

Geography. Selling Burnley to the globe’s leading football talents may be tricky – “its only three and a half hours from London” may not quite swing it.

Inevitably linked with

Players from mid-table SPL sides. The best players from the relegated clubs (see Kitson.D to Stoke last summer.) Anyone who plays on the far right.

Any other business

Burnley managed to beat the Premier League‘s top four London clubs last season, which suggests they may have a fighting chance of staying up. Ultimately however, it will be the results against the teams around them at the bottom that will dictate their fate.